Chapter 9: Persuasion

"Why is it different?"

Li Lian could not understand why, despite being blood brothers, his second brother had to be so difficult.

"Second Brother, the three of us were born to the same mother. If Father is willing to treat students with no blood relation to him so well, why wouldn't he be willing to treat you well too?"

"Do you resent Mother?"

"But at the time, Mother wanted to bring both brothers to the Li family, and Father felt the same way. It was your grandparents who insisted on choosing only one. Mother decided to take you, but then your grandparents said only the eldest brother could go."

"With something as important as getting an education and bettering oneself, Mother couldn't possibly leave both behind, could she?"

Seeing Shen Dan’s eyes redden, Li Yu quickly pulled the little third brother, signaling him to stop.

But Li Lian wouldn't listen: "Big Brother, you and Mother are just too concerned with his feelings. Second Brother, you are a scholar yourself; surely you know how important education is?"

"Given what your grandparents are like, do you think you and Big Brother would have escaped forced labor or a lifetime of bullying in that household if you had stayed in the Shen family?"

What say does a fatherless child have in such a family?

Whenever there was something unpleasant, or a situation requiring sacrifice or bloodshed, these two would surely be the ones pushed forward.

Every time his mother heard that his second brother had come to town but hadn't visited her, her eyes would brim with tears. Every time she went back to see him, she would return with red eyes. As a son, he could not bear to see his mother so wronged.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Shen Dan glared at this little boy living in a bubble of happiness, his tone filled with suppressed anger. "I don't blame Mother; I'm just struggling with myself."

With that, he stood up, said a word to Li Yu, and trotted away.

Li Yu could not leave his six-year-old brother alone in the shop; there were too many kidnappers in the city. He could only shout at his brother's retreating back: "Second Brother! You cannot give up your studies! At the very least, you must try the county examination first..."

Shen Dan’s footsteps faltered, but he did not look back. Soon, he was running toward the city gate.

Li Lian looked at his older brother: "Big Brother, did I say something wrong?"

He felt he hadn't said anything wrong. Why should his second brother resent their mother? Besides, if he didn't resent her, why did he always act so cold and make her cry?

"Not exactly, but..." He patted his younger brother’s head and sighed. "Your second brother has had a hard life. We should be a bit more careful with our words."

Li Lian still didn't understand. His second brother had enough to eat, clothes to wear, and schooling—how could his life be hard?

Li Yu replied, "Some hardships are about food and clothing, while others are invisible and intangible."

Over the years, those two old folks probably hadn't treated him well. When their mother remarried, the second brother had just turned four. Four years old—the age when a child needs an adult most. Instead, he had to live with his grandparents and three uncles, listening to the village gossip, and slowly, his heart grew twisted.

Because he was raised by his grandparents, he understood their way of thinking; yet, due to filial piety and gratitude, he felt torn between obedience to them and his own feelings. Those two old people must have badmouthed his mother constantly, but because he had studied, he knew of Inspector Li’s kindness and understood his mother's predicament back then. This left him feeling utterly lost and bewildered, especially at such a young age, just as he was beginning to understand the meaning of self-esteem.

Even if his mother hadn't been able to raise him by her side, he was still just a child.

Li Lian nodded, seemingly half-understanding, and took his younger brother home for a nap. However, he remained uneasy about his second brother. He decided he would have to find time to go back and see what was really making him suddenly unwilling to study.

On the other side, after leaving the city, Shen Dan didn't return to the village but ran to the riverbank. He picked up a stone and threw it hard into the water, watching the ripples spread, his heart a turmoil of complicated emotions. He knew his brother was right, but the deep-rooted feelings of distress were hard to dispel. After calming himself for a while, he checked his reflection in the water to ensure he looked normal before heading back.

As soon as he arrived home, his grandmother, Wang, said, "Why didn't you bring back the basket? A basket like that costs ten coppers to buy."

Hearing her voice, his Fourth Aunt, Bai, ignored the basket entirely and immediately picked up her own young son and approached him. "How did it go? Did you tell your mother and Inspector Li about your younger brother?"

"I heard the Emperor gave the officials a raise last year. Ninth-rank officials earn two strings of cash more per month than before. Inspector Li should have agreed quite readily, right?"

Why was it that the son of that deadbeat second son could study, while her own son, who had both a father and a mother, could only watch from the sidelines? She refused to accept it!

"Grandma, I forgot to bring the basket back. I'll bring it next time I go to the county," Shen Dan said, ignoring his Fourth Aunt’s initial question and addressing his shameless aunt instead. "Inspector Li said that he is already being generous by supporting my studies. He asked if our family... if we aren't being too shameless by not knowing when to stop?"

Being so shameless—was it because they thought his mother and eldest brother were living too well in the Li household? Even though his brother had never complained, he could understand a little of what it felt like to live under someone else's roof.

Bai’s face stiffened: "Wh-what?" Inspector Li was a scholar; how could a scholar say such things?

"Does Fourth Aunt not believe me?" Shen Dan's tone was very sincere. "Then next time I go into the city, why don't you come with me and ask Inspector Li yourself?"

Inspector Li was a government official, after all; Bai naturally didn't dare to be so brazen.

Old Madam Wang scolded, "Enough out of you, Fourth daughter-in-law. If you bring the clan leader here, you'll see what happens." Ever since the warning from the clan leader eight years ago, she hadn't dared to demand things herself.

Bai curled her lip and walked out, muttering to Wang, "Can't even get that much face back; what a waste of that basket of good eggs." There were nearly a hundred of them. It would have cost a hundred coppers to buy—all gone down the drain.

Old Madam Wang felt a sting of regret, but she stayed calm: "How is your brother? The Li family treats him quite well, don't they?" After all, he was her biological grandson; if he achieved glory in the future, it would bring honor to the Shen clan. Giving him those eggs wasn't a total waste.

"He's fine." Afraid that his grandmother would try to take advantage of his brother, Shen Dan lied, "But he doesn't lack for food or drink. They have to prioritize their own biological son, don't they?" Anyway, his grandmother wouldn't go check, so he could say whatever he wanted.

"That's true." Old Madam Wang agreed completely. Who would treat a stepson the same as their own? Unless they were out of their mind.

"What about what I told you last time? Have you considered it?"

Chuntang Tower was the best restaurant in the county, and the owner also had a successful business in the provincial capital. Fearing they wouldn't be able to oversee both, they wanted to find a young boy who could read and count to train early. Even though a twelve-year-old couldn't do much, they were willing to pay a hundred coppers a month, with a fifty-copper increase every year. It was far better than wasting money on the imperial examinations.

Seeing his grandson remain silent, Wang sighed: "For generations, the Shen family hasn't even produced a single scholar. Why waste your time? It’s better to plan for yourself and for this family."

"To support your studies, your second cousin has already gone to serve forced labor. If you could bring fifty coppers home each month, wouldn't your eldest aunt feel better?"

Education didn't promise immediate returns, but labor did.